This invention relates to mailbox post assemblies in general, and in particular to one which is easily assembled and which can be stored compactly in unassembled form.
Mailbox post assemblies are used to support mailboxes in front of almost every house. These mailbox post assemblies are typically made from wood, metal or plastic. A typical mailbox post assembly is large, bulky, heavy, somewhat expensive, and prone to rotting. The post is usually made out of a nominally four inch by four inch square length of wood, the bottom of which is sunk into the ground. A similar horizontal wood beam is attached to the post asymmetrically near the top of the post. Often, a diagonal wood brace extends from the post to the beam in order to stiffen the structure. In recent years, similar-looking plastic mailbox post assemblies have been introduced which are lighter, often less expensive, and more resistant to rotting.
However, these typical wood mailbox post assemblies and plastic mailbox post assemblies continue to share common shortcomings. First, if typical mailbox post assemblies are shipped in pre-assembled form, then they are somewhat bulky to ship, bulky to store, and easily damaged during shipment or storage. Second, if typical mailbox post assemblies are shipped in unassembled form, then they are still relatively bulky to ship, bulky to store, and require some separate packaging to carry the fasteners that will be used to join the post and the beam.
Thus, there is an unfulfilled need for a mailbox post assembly which can be assembled easily and which can be stored compactly in unassembled form.
Briefly described, in a first preferred form the present invention comprises a mailbox post assembly for insertion into the ground and for supporting a mailbox. The mailbox post assembly includes an elongate, hollow post that has a pair of cooperating openings formed therein and positioned generally toward one end of the post. The cooperating openings are positioned on opposite sides of the post from one another. The mailbox post assembly also includes an elongate, transverse beam sized and configured to be received in the cooperating openings of the post for extending therethrough. The beam and the post are both sized and shaped to allow the beam to be fitted within the hollow post in a nested arrangement for transportation prior to installation.
Preferably, the mailbox post assembly also includes at least one decorative element for mounting to the post and/or the beam. The decorative element preferably is sized and configured allow it to be fitted within the hollow post for transportation prior to installation. Preferably, the post and the beam are rectangular. Most preferably, the post and the beam are square. Also, preferably the decorative element comprises two decorative elements which, when mounted, provide the appearance of a supporting brace extending from the underside of the beam to an adjacent side of the upright post. Preferably, the post and the beam have similar cross-sectional shapes, but the external dimensions of the beam are smaller than internal dimensions of the hollow post to allow the beam to be slid within the post in a nested arrangement for shipment and storage prior to sale to a consumer.
In another preferred form, the present invention comprises a mailbox post kit for subsequent assembly and installation. The kit comprises an elongate hollow post having a pair of cooperating openings formed therein positioned generally near one end of the post. The cooperating openings are positioned on opposite sides of the post from one another. An elongate transverse beam is sized and configured to be received in the cooperating openings for extending therethrough. However, in the kit, the beam is fitted within the interior of the hollow post in a nested arrangement for transportation, storage, and sale prior to installation by a user or purchaser.
Preferably, the mailbox post kit includes at least one decorative element for mounting to the post or the beam and also is fitted within the hollow post for transportation, storage, and sale prior to installation.
Preferably, in both the assembly and kit described above, the post and the beam have matching geometric shapes of slightly different sizes to allow one to be slid within the other. For example, they can both be square, rectangular, oval, or circular. Alternatively, they can have different shapes provided that the external dimensions of the beam are smaller than the internal dimensions of the post (or that the external dimensions of the post are smaller than the internal dimensions of the beam) to allow the one to be nestably slid within the interior of the other. As an example, it is possible to provide a square upright post having elliptical opposed openings and a transverse beam which is elliptical and matched in shape to the openings formed in the post.
The mailbox post assembly and the mailbox post kit according to the present invention have the advantage of allowing the unassembled collection of parts to be transported, displayed and shipped very compactly and efficiently. This is so because all of the parts that stick out from the assembled post can be slid into the post for shipment, storage, and sale. This allows the entire package to be stacked extremely efficiently owing to the regular shape of the upright post. In this regard, the post having a rectangular or square shape has a slight advantage over other shapes in that it allows the packaged unassembled parts to be stored very tightly one against another in a store or in a container.
The present invention allows for very compact storage and transportation of the product prior to sale. It also provides a handy, easily-carried package to allow a purchaser or user to easily transport the mailbox post assembly from the store to the installation site.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mailbox post assembly that can be transported easily and handily by an individual.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mailbox post assembly that can be compactly stored for shipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mailbox post assembly that can be assembled easily in the field.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mailbox post assembly that is durable in its construction, simple to manufacture, and economical to manufacture and purchase.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.